More specifically, the present invention relates to an applicator for makeup use, which is suitable for applying a cosmetic to a customer when an instructor teaches how to apply the cosmetic to the customer's face at a cosmetic store, which has a high applying capability and which is inexpensive since it is of a disposable type.
The present invention also relates to a method for producing such a suitable applicator, and an apparatus for effecting the method.
Makeup cosmetics include various kind of cosmetics, such as lipstick, rouge, and eye shadow. As an applicator of such cosmetics, a brush made of horse bristles or goat bristles and an applicator made of foam, such as rubber foam or polyurethane have been used.
In the meantime, there is a tendency to actually try to apply makeup cosmetic at a cosmetic store when makeup cosmetics are sold. In this case, an applicator for makeup cosmetic is used.
In view of the area to which makeup is applied, i.e., eyes, lips and so on, it is undesirable from the sanitary point of view to use the single same applicator for an unspecified number of persons on trial applications of makeup cosmetics.
Accordingly, when the persons, to whom cosmetics are applied, are different, the applicator is wiped with tissue paper or is cleaned and dried after application to one person. Therefore, it is troublesome.
A conventional applicator formed in a stick or a brush includes an applying portion made of straight fibers or bristles. The base portion of the fibers or bristles, which serve as the applying portion, is tightly fastened by a metal band. Then, the applying portion is attached to a handle made of a synthetic resin or a metal. As described above, manufacture of such a conventional applicator is troublesome, and accordingly, the applicator is expensive. Consequently, the conventional applicator can not be disposed of once it is used. Especially, an applicator is expensive when it has an applying portion made of horse bristle or goat bristle, and therefore, it is uneconomic to dispose of such an expensive applicator after every use.
When foam is used as an applying portion of an applicator, the applicator is manufactured by connecting the applying portion to a handle by an adhesive, after the surface of a core member made of thin synthetic resin sheet is covered by a foam to form the applying portion. In another applicator wherein foam is used as an applying portion, the applicator is manufactured by covering a core portion made of a synthetic resin with foam, after a thin portion, which will be the core portion, and a thick portion, which will be a handle, are molded in one body.
In both the manufacturing methods described above, it is necessary to cover the core portion by foam formed in a predetermined shape in each applicator. Accordingly, operations are required wherein individual member of synthetic resin, which will be a core portion, is set at a predetermined position, thereafter it is covered by foam, and the foam surrounding the core portion is punched. Thus, the operation is very troublesome, and the manufacturing cost is expensive. Accordingly, the thus manufactured applicator is uneconomic as an applicator of a disposable type.
In order to obviate the above-described problems, the present inventor proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 1-119203 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Hei 1-72813 an applicator for makeup use made of a bundle of acetate fibers, wherein only an applying portion comprises straight fibers and the remaining portions comprise crimped fibers. Further, the inventor proposed a method for manufacturing the applicator which comprises: a first step wherein after crimped acetate fibers are gathered and formed in a rod, the rod is cut in a predetermined length; a second step wherein an end of the rod formed in the first step is sharpened by grinding to form an applying portion; a third step wherein only the applying portion is supplied with or impregnated with treating liquid including water so that the crimped fibers are straightened into straight fibers; and a fourth step wherein the applying portion obtained in the third step is dried.
According to the applicator for cosmetic use and the method for manufacturing the same, which the present inventor previously proposed, the applying portion is sharpened by abrading and grinding one end of the bundle of fibers. However, the operational efficiency for abrading or grinding operation of the bundle of crimped fibers in a pointed end is low, and accordingly, the productivity is low. Further, the portion which is abraded or ground may be easily fluffed, and accordingly, the quality of the obtained applicator may be deteriorated.
In addition, since the portion near the base of the applying portion is abraded or ground, the support of the applying portion becomes weak, and the applicator is not stiff. As a result, when a makeup cosmetic, such as lipstick, is applied with the proposed applicator, the applicator may bend at the base of the applying portion, and accordingly, the cosmetic cannot be applied well to the desired portion, i.e., the lip. More specifically, it is difficult for a user of the applicator to draw a line at will or to apply the cosmetic to the desired portion.
Furthermore, since a lip brush is used both to draw the outlines of the lip and to apply lipstick to the entire surface of the lip, it is preferred for the front end of the lip brush to be flat. However, it is difficult to obtain an applicator with a flat end in accordance with the previous proposal.
Besides, according to the previous proposal, the portion in the bundle of the fibers, which will be the applying portion, is treated with treating liquid so that the crimped fibers become straightened to obtain straight fibers, however, the crimps often remain in the fibers. If the crimps remain, makeup cosmetics may enter into the applying portion of the applicator, i.e., clearances formed by the crimps between the fibers, and the cosmetics will not come out easily. Accordingly, the cosmetics cannot be applied well to the skin.
The present invention has been achieved taking into consideration the above-described background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an applicator for makeup which is inexpensive and easy to use, and by which makeup cosmetics can be suitably applied at will.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method which can manufacture the above-described applicator for makeup use of the present invention provided with a sufficient applying capability at low cost and at high productivity.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is suitable for performing the above-described method of the present invention.